Great cycling adventures set to take place in June

Whether you’re a beginner, ultra-competitive or just a cycling fan, Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley have got you covered this month.

A couple of interesting enduro options dot the calendar in June. Enduro racing, for the uninitiated, is a series of downhill timed segments that racers take on one at a time. A downhill time trial on mountain bikes, essentially.

The third and final round of the Arkansas Enduro Series spring schedule is slated for Sunday, June 11 in Ponca at the Buffalo Outdoor Center. The event was originally scheduled for Red Star, but was moved because the remote location and a lack of emergency support forced organizers to seek a new race location.

Camping is available and shuttles will run for the racers on practice and race day. And a quick recovery dip in the conveniently located Buffalo River is also an option with the new location. Registration closes Friday.

If you’re curious about enduro and want to give it a go, look out for the new Ozark Enduro Lite series kicking off June 25. This new three-race summer series is made for beginners. Bella Vista will play host to the opening race, the second will be July 23 at Lake Atalanta and series will wrap up at the Coler MTB Preserve on Aug. 13.

The organizers are encouraging full-face helmets and bringing enough nutrition and hydration products for the race even though aid stations will be available. It’ll be hot for the series, better to be over-prepared than to suffer.

The races will feature four to six segments and should take racers 2-4 hours depending on their skill level. Find out more about the series at ozarkenduro.com.

If cross- country mountain bike racing is more your style, the next two rounds of the Arkansas Mountain Bike Championship series take place this month.

First up is the Old Post Challenge at Old Post Park in Russellville on June 18. The race returns after a 16year hiatus. Needless to say, the trails have changed a bit since this race was last run. Novice racers will take on a 4-mile course, while category 1, 2 and 3 racers will run laps of a 7-mile course.

Closer to home, the River Valley Rumble is set for June 25 at Ben Geren Park in Fort Smith. The course at the Rumble is inspired by UCI XC racing. Laps are less than five miles in length making for spectator-friendly action. More info about the AMBCS series can be found at ambcs. com.

America’s only qualifying race for the UCI Gravel World Championships takes place June 24 in Elkins. This is just the second year for the UCI Gravel Worlds and the Highlands Gravel Classic.

To qualify for the World Championships, which will take place Oct. 7-8 in Veneto, Italy, racers have to finish in the top 25% of their age group. At last report, riders from 30 states and two territories were signed up to race.

And let’s not forget the roadies in June.

The True Grit Ride in Fort Smith is June 16. The annual charity ride is in its 13th year and offers four route options. Funds go to a Community Services Clearinghouse program that provides underprivileged children with meals.

The Natural State Criterium Series returns June 28 in downtown Springdale. The series kicked off this past Wednesday and has got to challenge for one of the best mid-week bike race experiences anywhere in the country.

Because businesses in Springdale have embraced the series, the prize purses are amazingly well stocked and the start/finish on Emma Ave. gives spectators plenty of dining/viewing options on race day.

The A and B races in May featured fields nearing 50 riders, including riders that compete on the professional criterium circuit. May’s A race saw average speeds of 28 mph – pretty swift for an eight-corner course.

If you’re not quite ready for diving into corners at nearly 30 miles per hour, each race of the series offers a “first chance” race, which is a coach-led trip around the course.

And, if that’s still not your thing, there’s plenty of space along Emma Ave. to set up a chair, grab a beverage and a taco or two and cheer on the racers.